Aanya M.

The President commands the military. Congress controls federal spending and writes the laws. The Supreme Court has neither. It cannot deploy troops, collect taxes, write a budget, or campaign for public support. Its members are unelected and serve during “good Behaviour,” which has effectively meant life tenure unless they retire, resign, die, or are removed through impeachment. Yet five justices can invalidate laws passed by Congress, block actions taken by presidents, overturn state...

Social media has made politics more democratic in the most obvious sense: more people can participate. Politicians can speak directly to voters, activists can organize without traditional media, and ordinary people can publicly challenge those in power. But the same platforms that broaden participation also reward the kind of politics that is easiest to watch rather than the kind that is hardest to solve. Outrage travels faster than policy, and a viral moment can receive more attention than...

The 2026 election cycle has once again raised serious questions about how much influence wealthy donors and political organizations can exert over democratic elections. Few organizations illustrate this debate more clearly than the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly known as AIPAC. Through its political action committee and its affiliated super PAC, United Democracy Project, AIPAC has become one of the most financially powerful forces involved in congressional elections....